Officials conduct illegal ride-hailing sting for TV cameras in Richmond

Officials in Richmond, B.C., conducted another sting operation targeting illegal ride-hailing in the city Thursday, and this time they invited television cameras to join them.

Enforcement officers from the Passenger Transportation Branch and other agencies set up the operation at the Canada Line's Templeton Station, near Vancouver International Airport, ordering a ride from an illegal app and sending the driver away with $2,200 in fines.

"We will not tolerate illegal operators placing British Columbians and visitors in danger," said Perry Dennis, deputy registrar and director of operations for the PTB, speaking to reporters Thursday.

"If these companies are interested in keeping everyone safe, they can be part of the legal system and apply for a licence."

Dennis said unlicensed ride-hailing companies operate throughout Metro Vancouver, but Richmond and the City of Vancouver, in particular, have been hotbeds of the illegal activity.

Such companies – Dennis named Raccoongo and Udi, specifically – are not licensed to operate in Metro Vancouver, and their drivers typically do not have the Class 4 driver's licences required by law. That means they haven't gone through the training that drivers for Uber, Lyft and other legal ride-hailing and taxi companies have, Dennis said.

He added that drivers for illegal ride-hailing companies also don't face mandatory background checks or vehicle inspections, and likely would not be covered by ICBC in an accident.

"They place unsuspecting and vulnerable passengers in danger," Dennis said. "To borrow a phrase from Cpl. Ian Henderson of the Richmond RCMP, they are unsafe, unlicensed and unwelcome in our communities."

Sting operations like Thursday's typically target the drivers, not the passengers or the companies that developed the unlicensed ride-hailing apps.

He said the PTB has communicated with the City of Richmond about the possibility of targeting passengers as well, but there are currently no plans to do so.

Likewise, Dennis was asked about going after the developers, which he said the PTB's legal division is working to do, noting that the law allows for fines of $100,000 per day for such companies. The companies in question are not based in Richmond, he said.